The Hybrid Universe
by Kohaku Rayn
Summary: InuyashaRurouni Kenshin. Allpowerful being puts the couples in a separate universe to torment them. Rated for future content. InuyashaKagome MirokuSango KenshinKaoru


A/N: This story is rated for future content. I like to torture chars. It's so much fun!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Rurouni Kenshin, so leave me alone. tear

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered behind him, seating herself next to him by the fire. When she said nothing more, and just sat silently, he opened one eye to look at her. She was leaning against the tree, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring off into space.

"Well?" he prompted.

"Huh?" she replied absently, not looking at him.

"Oh yeah, I have a question for you."

"Well, what is it?" he snapped irritably.

Dragging her eyes to his, Kagome began hesitantly. "Well, you see, after what happened between Koga and Ayame, I started thinking about other people like that."

"What--other people who are engaged and don't even know it?" he asked sarcastically.

"No. I was thinking about people who make promises, then avoid them. I wondered if you would do that. Tell me, Inuyasha, if you made a promise like that to a girl, would you forget about it?"

Silence greeted her question as Inuyasha pondered his answer.

"No," he said finally. "I don't think I would. If I promised a girl something like that, I would take it seriously. Why do ya want to know, anyway?"

"I was just curious," she said. "I mean, Koga kind of surprised me with the way he treated Ayame. I thought he was the kind to take women more seriously." Inuyasha's ears twitched in irritation at the mention of the wolf demon.

"Well that wolf is just plain stupid," he growled. "Tying himself down to a whiny female is about the dumbest thing I've ever heard of."

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, closed her eyes in irritation, and growled low in her throat. Inuyasha looked up just as Kagome ground out "sit boy!"

_Thud!_ He hit the ground at her feet.

"What'd you do that for!" he yelled.

"Serves you right for being so rude all the time!" she shouted back. "Would it kill you to learn some manners!"

As the two argued on, Miroku and Sango watched on resignedly.

"Will those two ever stop?" Sango asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Most likely not," he replied. "People act according to instinct. Kagome and Inuyasha have trouble containing their reactions to each other, so they fight all the time." Sango's eyes suddenly widened considerably.

"This reaction is also very difficult to contain," Miroku added, giving her rear an extra squeeze. Glaring menacingly, Sango swiftly slapped his altogether too smug face.

Meanwhile, in another universe, a certain dojo was experiencing a little mayhem of its own.

Kenshin, sensing a disturbance in the air, stood swiftly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sakobato. Alert, he scanned the area for the source of the trouble. A movement caught his eye, and the sound of shouting reached his ears. Sudden realization dawned on him, and he relaxed his stance. His hair was ruffled by the two blurs which whizzed by to an accompaniment of, "I'll show you 'ugly old toad,' you little brat!"

Kenshin sighed and sat back down to await the end of the squabble Sanosuke strolled casually over to the redhead.

"So what started this one?" he asked, lowering himself to the ground beside him.

"This One has no idea," he replied with a sigh.

"Well," Sano spoke again, "it looks like they're tiring out now. They should be done soon."

As these words left his mouth, Kaoru and Yahiko collapsed to the ground panting.

"That was a short one," Sanosuke commented.

"Well, This One will cook dinner tonight," Kenshin volunteered cheerily, gathering the laundry he'd been working on before the debacle.

He entered the dojo, and Sano rose to speak to the exhausted pair on the ground. Kenshin set to work chopping vegetables, intending to make stew for the evening.

"Bakabakashii," an irritated voice mumbled behind him. Dumping the chopped carrots into a pot of water, he turned to face Kaoru, who was fixing her hair back into a pony tail.

"He's not that bad," Kenshin commented, drying his hands on a towel. "And he is a quick learner."

Assuming an uncharacteristically serious expression, Kaoru stepped over to stand in front of him.

"I know Yahiko's a good student," she said softly, her eyes strangely vulnerable, but do you think I'm a good enough sensei to teach him?"

Lifting her chin with his fingers, Kenshin waited for her to meet his gaze before speaking.

"You are a wonderful sensei, Kaoru-dono, and anyone who says otherwise is an unfortunate fool."

Smiling tremulously, Kaoru threw herself into Kenshin's arms.

"Thank you, Kenshin," she whispered, "I really needed the confidence."

Kaoru pulled back slightly, resting against his arms, and looking into his eyes like a little girl who had just been given a special treat. Just then, Yahiko burst in, red-faced with anger. The sight of Kenshin standing there with Kaoru in his arms brought him up short, and defused the storm he had been about to unleash. The two sprang apart as if burned, and Yahiko's jaw dropped.

"Yahiko, would you like a hug as well?" Kenshin asked, holding his arms out in front of him, and rushing toward him.

"No, that's okay. I just came to get ugly here to finish our lesson."

Her face flushing in anger, Kaoru stepped forward menacingly.

"Oh, I'll teach you a lesson, all right," she ground out, reaching for his throat.

Yahiko shot out of the room, Kaoru on his heels. Kenshin sighed in resignation, then turned and began chopping stalks of celery.

A face lurks in the space between these two worlds, cloaked in shadow. Under the hand of this mysterious figure is a black panther with glowing green eyes.

"None of them fully accept their attractions," an ethereal voice speaks into the darkness. "Why don't we shake them up a little?"

The black beast purrs appreciatively at her master.

A pinprick of white light appears, and then begins to spread. It grows larger and larger, increasing in intensity until it reaches a blindingly brilliant pinnacle. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it winks out of existence, leaving in its wake a heavy darkness occupied only by a soft, echoing chuckle.


End file.
